Introduction. Personal Sketch--Highland Ancestors--Family Traditions--Grandfather removes to the Lowlands--Parents-- Early Labors and Efforts--Evening School--Love of Reading-- Religious Impressions--Medical Education--Youthful Travels-- Geology--Mental Discipline--Study in Glasgow--London Missionary Society--Native Village--Medical Diploma-- Theological Studies--Departure for Africa--No Claim to Literary Accomplishments.
Chapter 1. The Bakwain Country--Study of the Language--Native Ideas regarding Comets--Mabotsa Station--A Lion Encounter-- Virus of the Teeth of Lions--Names of the Bechuana Tribes-- Sechele--His Ancestors--Obtains the Chieftainship--His Marriage and Government--The Kotla--First public Religious Services--Sechele's Questions--He Learns to Read--Novel mode for Converting his Tribe--Surprise at their Indifference-- Polygamy--Baptism of Sechele--Opposition of the Natives-- Purchase Land at Chonuane--Relations with the People--Their Intelligence--Prolonged Drought--Consequent Trials--Rain- medicine--God's Word blamed--Native Reasoning--Rain-maker-- Dispute between Rain Doctor and Medical Doctor--The Hunting Hopo--Salt or animal Food a necessary of Life--Duties of a Missionary.
Chapter 2. The Boers--Their Treatment of the Natives--Seizure of native Children for Slaves--English Traders--Alarm of the Boers--Native Espionage--The Tale of the Cannon--The Boers threaten Sechele--In violation of Treaty, they stop English Traders and expel Missionaries--They attack the Bakwains-- Their Mode of Fighting--The Natives killed and the School- children carried into Slavery--Destruction of English Property--African Housebuilding and Housekeeping--Mode of Spending the Day--Scarcity of Food--Locusts--Edible Frogs-- Scavenger Beetle--Continued Hostility of the Boers--The Journey north--Preparations--Fellow-travelers--The Kalahari Desert--Vegetation--Watermelons--The Inhabitants--The Bushmen- -Their nomad Mode of Life--Appearance--The Bakalahari--Their Love for Agriculture and for domestic Animals--Timid Character--Mode of obtaining Water--Female Water-suckers--The Desert--Water hidden.
Chapter 3. Departure from Kolobeng, 1st June, 1849-- Companions--Our Route--Abundance of Grass--Serotli, a Fountain in the Desert--Mode of digging Wells--The Eland--Animals of the Desert--The Hyaena--The Chief Sekomi--Dangers--The wandering Guide--Cross Purposes--Slow Progress--Want of Water-- Capture of a Bushwoman--The Salt-pan at Nchokotsa--The Mirage--Reach the River Zouga--The Quakers of Africa-- Discovery of Lake Ngami, 1st August, 1849--Its Extent--Small Depth of Water--Position as the Reservoir of a great River System--The Bamangwato and their Chief--Desire to visit Sebituane, the Chief of the Makololo--Refusal of Lechulatebe to furnish us with Guides--Resolve to return to the Cape--The Banks of the Zouga--Pitfalls--Trees of the District-- Elephants--New Species of Antelope--Fish in the Zouga.
Chapter 4. Leave Kolobeng again for the Country of Sebituane-- Reach the Zouga--The Tsetse--A Party of Englishmen--Death of Mr. Rider--Obtain Guides--Children fall sick with Fever-- Relinquish the Attempt to reach Sebituane--Mr. Oswell's Elephant-hunting--Return to Kolobeng--Make a third Start thence--Reach Nchokotsa--Salt-pans--"Links", or Springs-- Bushmen--Our Guide Shobo--The Banajoa--An ugly Chief--The Tsetse--Bite fatal to domestic Animals, but harmless to wild Animals and Man--Operation of the Poison--Losses caused by it-- The Makololo--Our Meeting with Sebituane--Sketch of his Career--His Courage and Conquests--Manoeuvres of the Batoka-- He outwits them--His Wars with the Matebele--Predictions of a native Prophet--Successes of the Makololo--Renewed Attacks of the Matebele--The Island of Loyelo--Defeat of the Matebele-- Sebituane's Policy--His Kindness to Strangers and to the Poor-- His sudden Illness and Death--Succeeded by his Daughter--Her Friendliness to us--Discovery, in June, 1851, of the Zambesi flowing in the Centre of the Continent--Its Size--The Mambari-- The Slave-trade--Determine to send Family to England--Return to the Cape in April, 1852--Safe Transit through the Caffre Country during Hostilities--Need of a "Special Correspondent" --Kindness of the London Missionary Society--Assistance afforded by the Astronomer Royal at the Cape.